Pneumatic, electrical or manual tools for driving fasteners usually incorporate a magazine for loading interconnected (e.g. with glue, welding, ribbon . . . ) fasteners. The last (trailing end) fastener in the magazine will feed the tool at the level of the striking rod, to provide the following fastener to be driven. The magazine will extend from this point to gather a given number of fasteners. Orientation of such extension can be rearward, lateral, or other direction, at right angle or with a certain angular value. The stack of fasteners is configured complementarily to the size and shape of the magazine.
In most known fasteners, magazines require that prior to fastener loading, the slider must be pulled back to enable the fasteners to be fitted within the magazine fastener support rail, since the fasteners cannot extend therethrough. Afterwards, a spring mechanism must be activated to push the fasteners forward. Fasteners can be loaded without prior slider pulling back; however, the slider must then be brought back to its maximum limit position for declutching the system, which will then allow the fasteners to move therethrough, so that the slider be released rearwardly of the fasteners.
With respect to nailer magazines for nails, or other single leg fasteners, loading is done in a two step process:
1. loading fresh fasteners; and
2. pulling and then releasing the pusher so that the latter engage behind the fasteners.
On the other hand, with U-shaped staples magazines, loading is done in a three step process:
1. pulling back the pusher to free the loading rail;
2. loading fresh fasteners; and
3. releasing the pusher.
In particular, improvements could be brought to the pneumatic fasteners disclosed in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 8,292,144, by incorporating an improved fastener feeder assembly to their magazine, as disclosed hereinbelow. Such fasteners are of the type for driving L- or T-shape fasteners or other one leg fasteners into hard wood floors, but could also in other cases be applicable with straight nails. Such improvements are also directed to correct deficiencies from use of fasteners magazine having a securing fasteners ribbon coil.
Although the fastener elbowed magazine disclosed in FIG. 1 of applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 8,292,144, will operate well under gravity forces and without slider, it may become necessary in some cases to use a slider to push the fasteners toward the ejection channel and this, in particular, in sub-optimal fasteners jam prone conditions. All sliders load the fasteners by bearing at the trailing end portion thereof and applying a retention force with a spring member. As a consequence, the magazine must be longer than the total length of all coextensive fasteners strips. Another issue is that the current sliders will not lend themselves easily to a modification of orientation. Moreover, simply extending the length of a magazine to accommodate more fasteners will have a number of drawbacks, including:
1. its bulk will bring the fastener tool farther away from the working area;
2. the center of gravity of the fastener tool will shift, thus compromising stability thereof;
3. because of the fastener overall design, once the magazine exceeds a given length, ergonomic issues appear when handling the handle, whereby loads will be applied to the user's wrist which will become constantly twisted for proper positioning of the fasteners, which will bring muscular fatigue.
It will be understood that with prior art fasteners, a number of wooden planks close to the upright wall will become out of reach from the fastener.